David Willison

Who is David Willison?

David Willison is an English pianist. Between 1961 and 1999 he was the regular accompanist of the baritone Benjamin Luxon in recitals and recordings.

David Willison's earliest performing experience was in the piano trio formed with his brothers John, a violinist and Peter, cellist. This group played nationwide for several years, and performed a series of Wigmore Hall concerts.

Willison studied at the Royal Academy of Music, and after winning the first London Accompanying Scholarship, at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He met Benjamin Luxon in 1961 while they were both students at the Guildhall. Their partnership began almost immediately with recitals, the first of their many live broadcasts for the BBC taking place in 1965. Their performances were heard in every British Festival and as far afield as Japan and in concert halls throughout Britain, Europe and the USA. They recorded for Argo, Decca and Chandos with a repertoire from Beethoven, Schubert, Wolf and a major part of the English song repertoire.

The association between Luxon and Willison was brought to an end by the hearing loss which ended Luxon's singing career in the late 1990s.